


introductions

by The3rdTrumpeteer



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, taako and merle and magnus are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 00:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19878418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The3rdTrumpeteer/pseuds/The3rdTrumpeteer
Summary: Angus dies and makes a new friend, in that order.---A one-shot based off @corinnamariedrawsstuff‘s amazing (heart-wrenching) art on tumblr. (link in the story)





	introductions

A one-shot based off [@corinnamariedrawsstuff](https://tmblr.co/mAHNKIM1LezRgMMXvWJhWUw)‘s [amazing (heart-wrenching) art](https://corinnamariedrawsstuff.tumblr.com/post/184978258553/checkmate-sterrenschijnsel-this-was-supposed-to).

\---

Angus doesn’t really know what’s happened. One second he’s in the empty cafeteria in the Bureau of Balance headquarters, practicing spells (he’s getting really good at Continual Flame and a few other second level spells, he thinks, and he can’t wait to show Taako during their next magic lesson), and the next he’s standing in a vast white space. It’s silent and empty, and Angus can see no doors or windows, and when he glances down, he notices that his legs are a little more translucent than he’d like them to be, but he doesn’t feel any panic. Instead, he takes stock of the situation, as any well-trained detective should. He doesn’t remember what happened to him, and he’s suddenly in a mysterious place, an almost ethereal realm. And he’s disappearing.

Angus figures he’s died.

It didn’t hurt. Or, at least, it doesn’t hurt now. Angus wracks his brain, trying to come up with an explanation. Was it something he did? Was there an attack, maybe? Was it-

“Hello.”

Angus jumps at the sudden voice. He looks around, and behind him stands a tall, dark-skinned man, well-dressed and holding a scythe. Angus realizes he knows him.

“H-hello, sir.” Angus can’t help the stutter; he’s nervous.

The man smiles, but his expression is tinged with something that could be called sadness if it wasn’t masked so expertly. “You’re here… earlier than expected, I must say.”

“Oh.” Angus doesn’t really know what to think about that. “I know you, I think, sir.”

The man raises an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“You’re Taako’s boyfriend, aren’t you? The one I’m supposed to pretend I don’t know about?” The man can’t quite hide his surprise, and Angus knows he’s right.

“Yes… I suppose I am. I’m Kravitz.”

“Nice to meet you, Mister Kravitz,” Angus says. He resists the urge to stick out his hand to shake; who knows what the etiquette in the afterlife is? “I’m Angus.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Angus,” Kravitz says. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.” 

Angus looks down at his legs again, and sees that they’re more transparent now, nearly gone entirely. “Me too, sir.” He still doesn’t feel afraid, but he’s sad. It’s beginning to sink in now, what’s happened. Kravitz seems to notice.

“Sit with me, Angus,” Kravitz says, and suddenly there’s a lone park bench in this vast white space. They sit together; Angus’s feet don’t quite touch the ground. “Taako talks about you all the time, you know.”

“He does?” Angus doesn’t mean to sound surprised, but he has to admit that he is, a little. “What does he say?”

“Good things.” Kravitz smiles at him. “He talks about your magic lessons, about how you’re learning second level spells already and it’s only been a couple of weeks. And he talks about how talented you are in your detective work, too. How quickly you solve mysteries, and how quick you are on your feet.”

“That’s… that’s really nice of him.” Angus’s cheeks burn; he’s not used to praise like this, and he definitely wouldn’t have expected it from Taako. His eyes burn, too, actually, and Angus wipes a few tears away. Kravitz puts a comforting hand on Angus’s shoulder. “I’m not going to see him again, am I?”

“It’s… it’s hard to say.” Kravitz sighs. “Things here are complicated.”

“Is it more complicated because I’m here early?” Angus asks. “You said I was earlier than expected. What happened?”

“Angus, I really shouldn’t-”

“Please, sir.” More tears, and this time Angus doesn’t try to wipe them away. He’s close to sobbing now. “Was it something I did?”

“It was…” Kravitz pulls a large book out of nowhere and flips through it for a few seconds before landing on a page. “Oh, I see. It was a spell called Scorching Ray. It seems something went wrong, the spell misfired, and…”

“And I died.” There’s a lump in Angus’s throat so large he can hardly speak. “It w-was me. It had to be. Scorching Ray is a s-second level spell, and Taako t-told me to focus on f-fire spells-”

“Angus.” Kravitz puts his arms around Angus and pulls him close.” It wasn’t your fault. The gods… they have a plan for everything, don’t they.”

Angus sniffs. “I guess so.”

“You’re here for a reason, and though we might not yet know what that reason is, yet, everything will fall into place soon. I’m sure of it.”

“Mister Kravitz?” Angus’s voice is steadier now.

“Yes, Angus?”

“My legs are gone. You won’t let me disappear completely, will you? Not before I see Taako and Magnus and Merle and everyone else again?”

Kravitz ruffles Angus’s hair; he’s never been great with kids, but he thinks this one might be different. “Of course not.”


End file.
